EarthFocus Magazine

Global Youth Conference on Forests, Water, Health and Peace: 12 interviews

2011-05-02T07:29:36-07:00

Following the Global Youth Conference on Forests, Water, Health and Peace, you will find below a series of interviews all directly related to the event in addition to the complete webcast of the event. Click on each image to play the corresponding videos:

Global Youth Conference on Forests, Water, Health and Peace

2011-04-20T09:39:53-07:00

The Earth Focus Foundation co-organized the Global Youth Conference on Forests, Water, Health and Peace at the CICG International Conference Centre of Geneva. Have a look back at the two day conference:

Videos of the Massive Change Network Seminar, Geneva, 24 Feb. 2011

2011-03-03T14:44:47-08:00

Earth Focus Foundation organized a special event with the support of the Green Film Festival in Geneva on the 24th of February 2011.

Earth Focus Foundation presented THE PLAN written and directed by David Osterberg and Michael Stenberg of Biospheric Pictures AB (2010, 58’, Sweden) followed immediately by live discussion with Bruce Mau and Bisi Williams, and director David Osterberg.

Video summary of the event:

After the screening of THE PLAN, Bruce Mau lead a discussion exploring these questions:

How can we get the power of design into the hands of the 99% who have not had access to higher education?
How do we break through the noise, and make the best of human culture the most visible?
What can we do to accelerate the best (and stop the rest)?

Interviews:

What is the Massive Change Network?

The Massive Change Network is purpose filled, entrepreneurial, experienced based design possibility network. The key strategic idea of the Massive Change Network to provide via various means and methods the inherent and native capacity of citizens, students, governments, business and community leaders to develop and enhance their critical design thinking skills. The vast majority of global citizens lack access to this critical working tool.

Our purpose is sharing knowledge with the 99% of global citizens who do not have access to college, university, or post secondary education. Our intention is to deliver the most knowledge, wisdom and culture to those with the least. The Massive Change Network is mandated to focus on inclusivity rather than exclusivity.

To greet the greatest opportunities and meet the most pressing challenges being presented to our world, citizens must be equipped to accelerate the uptake of new solutions. The emerging global conditions will require a new kind of scholar, worker, entrepreneur, leader, and educator. This emerging ecology of ever increasing technological, social, financial, environmental, governmental, and educational challenges, will require citizens committed to working collaboratively across professional silos, the ability to not only think critically, but creatively, and to move beyond theoretical musings to practical implementation. The 21st century will be the century where every citizen must become a life-long learner of some capacity. A network changes everything.

For more information visit:

Earth Focus recapitulative video of 2010 events

2011-01-30T12:53:06-08:00

Presentation of Earth Focus foundation in video featuring Mrs Nicola Spafford Furey during the 2048 project meeting in December 2010 in Geneva as well as young students at the GIN (Global Issues Network) conference and at the Global Youth Conference explaining their actions to change the world:

Global Youth Conference 2010: video summary

2011-01-07T08:56:39-08:00

This video highlights the main points discussed at the last Global Youth Conference 2010 organized by the Earth Focus Foundation in Geneva:

Project 2048 and the International Convention on Human Rights: video interviews

2010-12-15T08:43:06-08:00

Following the one day conference (see the full video content with all the debates here), a couple of interviews of experts in the domain were recorded on December 10, 2010.

Video Interview of Mrs Nicola Furey, vice-president and secretary general of the EarthFocus Foundation:

Interview of four young students from the Kenyan Aga Khan Academy:

Links to other interviews:

Video Interview of Alfred de Zayas.
Video Interview of Bruna Molina.
Video Interview of Mishana Hosseinioun.
Video Interview of Johannes Van Aggelen.
Interview of an active participant.
Video interview of Hubert Schneebeli.
Brief recap video about the general ambiance of the conference.

On demand video webcast: Project 2048 and the International Convention on Human Rights

2010-12-15T06:28:20-08:00

In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a deeply inspiring document that has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects. But because its provisions are not enforceable, its promise has not been fulfilled. Human rights violations continue in every corner of the globe, the cause of countless individual tragedies as well as large-scale disasters like war, poverty and environmental ruin.

EarthFocus organized this conference in Geneva on the 10th of December 2010. You can watch the video of the full conference by clicking on the image below:

Project 2048: Live streaming Conference webcast on Dec 10 2010, Geneva

2010-12-09T06:02:31-08:00

EarthFocus is co-organizing a conference in Geneva on December 10, 2010 regarding the 2048 project: “Drafting the Universal Declaration on Human Rights” debate. Everyone was able to follow live the full content of the day from 9AM GMT (Webcast powered by Klewel).

Download the programme of the conference:

Morning

How can we make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights relevant for the issues of today?
● 9:00 The Universal Dream: drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Mishana Hosseinioun and professors Bruna Molina and Alfred de Zayas
● 10:15 Break
● 10:30 Human Rights in 2048- an enforceable bill of human rights and introduction to 2048 Project

Afternoon

If "humanitarian intervention" is an emerging principle of international law, why has it not been applied in Gaza?
● 13:00 Introduction from Professor Bruna Molina for the role playing debate on the case study of the Israeli attack on the Humanitarian Flotilla in May of 2010
● 13:15 Introduction from role playing individuals and commencement of the debate
● 14:15 Break
● 14:30 Continuation of the debate

Youth Message for COP 16

2010-11-28T05:22:28-08:00

To view the youth message for COP 16:

Download Message-from-the-Global-Youth-Conference-2010

Global Youth Conference on Climate Change and Sustainable Development

2010-11-15T23:46:20-08:00

The Earth Focus foundation, continuing the work with young people started within the renowned Bellerive Foundation, organized the World Youth Conference (8-11 November 2010), in Geneva.

The conference welcomes young people from all over the world to contribute to the subject of Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

Video webcast of the conference

The conference consisted of plenary sessions with experts regarding the effects of climate change, such as:

Mrs Nicola Furey, Vice President, Earth Focus foundation
Dr Quentin Deville, Member of the Board, Earth Focus foundation
David Hiler, Minister of Finance, Canton of Geneva
HRH Prince Frederick von Saxe-Lauenburg^[1], Grand Cross Saxe-Lauenburg (GCSL), Fellow of the International Institute of Peace Study of London (FIIPS), Children of the World
Antony Hequet, Münd
Prof. Martin Beniston, Chair for Climate Research, University of Geneva
Dr Curtis Doebbler, Visiting Professor at Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations
Philippe de Rougemont, Noé 21
Dr Maria Mendiluce, WBCSD
Elliott Verreault, ItsOneHumanity
Adam Koniuszewski, Green Cross
Dr Rudolph Rechtsteiner and Hans-Jörg Haas, Greenpeace
Martin Atkin, WWF
Rosie Waygood, Children of the Earth
Marie-Noëlle Keijzer ^[2], WeForest
Heiner Benking, Council on Global Issues
Carlos Giger, GoCycle
Henry Derwent, International Emissions Trading Association

Stands from many of those organizations were present on site, to expose and promote their activities, give information and testimonies of their actions, and initiate discussion with the conference attendees.

Monday, November 8th

The conference started with encouraging words from the Earth focus foundation and a message from the Geneva Authorities. The audience had the privilege to attend very interesting presentations completed by questions and answers with the panel. You can view the webcast of the whole conference by clicking here.

Tuesday, November 9th

The themes of the day were "Education, Youth and Civil Society" and "Nuclear, Clean and Renewable Energies". After a presentation by Antony Hequet, Jon-Hans Coetzer, General Manager and Academic Coordinator of the Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations, introduced several presentations from students of the Koc School, Turkey, on the topic of education, youth and civil society.

The plenary sessions were complemented by workshops on various topics, such as:

Ethics in Modern Society by Brianan Kiernan and Antony Hequet
Climate Change and the Global Commons by Heiner Benking
Ecology, Economy and Social Flow by Sarah Dreyfus
A New Approach to our Environmental Dilemna by Rosie Waygood
Connecting to our higher values and the power of thought by Karoline Buys
Latin America: Strategies Inherent to Natural Resources and Sustainable Tourism as a Development Alternative (Venezuela) by Corina Cortes

Wednesday, November 10th

In the field of climate change and biodiversity, students from the Collège André Chavanne, Collège du Léman, Collège Rousseau and the Koc School have presented their work which led to intense debate and discussions.

The workshops covered different topics such as:

Protecting Human Rights in a Future Climate Regime by Curtis Doebbler and Margreet Wewerinke
The Hazards of Climate Change on Socio-economic Development by Dorina Drowniak, Bedir Özuslu, Cem Albayrak, Melih Yavci, Selin Arisal and Vidal Arditi
Zermatt Unplugged by Brianan Kiernan
Visualising the inner Yes to Creating a Sustainable World by Rebecca Inauen
Creating from a space of alignment by Philipp Knechtle
Oriental Coaching, a powerful tool to achieve a sustainable human development by Jordi Tebé

Thursday, November 11th

During the morning, Noé 21 and ItsOneHumanity presented films and Philippe de Rougemont animated a workshop and debate. Following the proposition of Prince Frederick von Saxe-Lauenburg, a 1 minute silence commemoration in memory of the First World War armistice was made at 11am, the 11th of November. A message from Jean-Paul Moka (viewable below), from Congo, was shown to the participants which had the opportunity to comment and respond to. The conference ended up with voting on a clear message to negotiators at COP 16 in Cancun and a walk to Place des Nations to deliver the message to United Nations, World Meteorological Organization, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and World Trade Organization.

Message from Jean-Paul Moka:

Here is a 10 minutes movie clip summarizing some of the events of the conference:

Get Flash to see this player.

^ Prince Frederick von Saxe-Lauenburg, with and for Children of the World, is organizing a Teddy Bears' picnic in Geneva, in Summer 2011. Please contact the foundation if you are wanting to collaborate, donate funds, time or anything from office space, phone line, fax machine or computer; any help is very warmly welcome!

^ For a limited time only, you can purchase an ecologic ICE-WATCH that will allow WeForest to plant 100 trees! More information on their website.